


Crawl Home

by talesofsinsandmonsters



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Blood, Bloodplay, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gore, Hisoka is a Violent Person, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jealousy, Kinks, Love Triangles, Marking, Mates, Possessive Behavior, Rough Sex, Sexual Tension, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Threesome - F/M/M, Underage Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-28 06:51:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7629247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsinsandmonsters/pseuds/talesofsinsandmonsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the universe of the Hunters, everyone is born with a mark somewhere on their body, one that matches only the person whom they are meant to love forever.<br/>Gon Freecs accompanies his sister to the Hunter Exam to find their father. Mayumi Freecs couldn't care less about her father, or the small spade-shaped Mark on the inside of her right wrist. All she cares about is keeping her little brother safe, and escaping the tedium of life on Whale Island.<br/>Mila Nightshade didn't want to marry someone she's never met, and so she ran from her family, to participate in the Hunter Exam. Unbeknownst to her, her groom, the white haired boy with the identical lightning bolt Mark on his left hip, would also be there that year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Departure X and X Friends

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an idea I've had in my head for a while! Nothing too serious, but I hope you enjoy! Title comes from Hozier's 'Work Song.'

“Mito-san!!” Two village men were standing there, holding boxes overflowing with fish, looking at a woman in a red blouse and cream colored dress, sorting her own fish in a large bin. Her orange hair glinted in the sunlight. “Gon’s still trying to catch the Lord of the Lake?”

“Huh?” She turned to look over her shoulder with a smile, before returning to her sorting. “Yes, he’s been at it for a week, non-stop.”

“Mayumi-chan promised that he could take the Hunter Exam with her if he caught the Lord of the Lake, right?”

“That idiot!” One of the men laughed, “five adults couldn’t reel in that monster. How’s a little kid supposed to catch that beast?”

“Mayumi-chan doesn’t want him taking the Hunter Exam with her,” the other man explained, “why else give him such an impossible challenge?”

“But their old man was the same age when he caught it, wasn’t he?”

“Heh-heh! He can’t do it.”

That last bit of conversation made Mito’s head shoot up, and she gasped quietly. Being reminded of her cousin was never something she considered pleasant. It always made her sad, thinking of the children Ging had left behind for his Hunting career. But with thoughts of the children, came feelings of pride. Mayumi spent every day training rigorously, preparing herself for Exam,, and Gon was determined to overcome any challenge that was placed in front of him.

The two of them going off to take the Hunter Exam did not please Mito one bit.

She supposed, though, she ought to support them eventually. They were going to do as they pleased anyways.

* * *

“Mayumi-chan~!” Gon’s voice was shrill with pleasure, gaining his sister’s attention immediately. She looked up from her meditation, to see Gon coming down the hillside into town so quickly, he was practically flying. Behind him, the line of his fishing pole was pulled taught, disappearing over the crest of the hill. “Mayumi-chan, I did it!” The line was finally pulled over the hill, and Mayumi’s eyes widened as she saw what Gon was dragging behind him. “I caught the Lord of the Lake!”

“Goodness me,” Mayumi breathed, standing as Gon reached her. The giant fish rolled to a stop in the town square. She stared at her brother, who was grinning up at her, pride shining in his big brown eyes. Around the siblings, the town people had gathered, and were cheering loudly about Gon’s impossible catch.

“This means I can take the Hunter Exam with you, right?”

Mayumi crossed her arms, lips pursed.

“Gon!” Mito’s voice carried over the crowd. Gon turned to her, grin still in place.

“Mito-san! I caught the Lord of the Lake! I can go to the Hunter Exam!”

Mito sighed and looked downwards. The look on her face was sad. Gon payed this no mind.

“I’ll do my best! I promise to become a Hunter!”

He ran off, leaving both his sister and his mother-figure to stare after him. After a few seconds, Mayumi looked up at Mito.

“I’m sorry, Mito-san,” she said, rubbing her neck and walking off after Gon.

* * *

 

The sun had just risen when Mito and Gon walked out of the house that they shared with Mayumi, and Mito’s grandmother. Mayumi, having already said her goodbyes, sat at the base of the small hill that led up to the house, eyes closed in meditation, a bo staff across her lap. Her hair had been pulled into a high pony, leaving only her bangs in her face. Mito examined her, noticing just how much the girl had grown the last 10 years. She had trained well for the journey she was about to embark on. Mito had to remember that Mayumi wasn’t a little girl anymore.

“I promise I’ll pass the Exam.” Gon’s voice broke her from her thoughts. “I’ll pass the exam, and I’ll become a Hunter.”

“Promise that you’ll come back alive,” Mito urged with a slight smile. She held out her pinky,“Can you do that?”

“Un!” Gon agreed, “I promise!”

Together, pinkies locked, they sang, “ _Pinky swear made! Whoever breaks their promise has to swallow a thousand needles! Seal it with a kiss! Chu!_ ” They pressed their thumbs together. Gon held his ‘Chu’ much longer than Mito, who had tears rolling down her face. When Gon looked back up at Mito, his goofy grin was replaced by a shocked expression, as Mito yanked him into a hug.

“Gon,” she whispered softly. His arms came around her.

“Thank you, Mito-san,” he replied, voice just as hushed. After a few moments, he pulled away, and started running towards his sister.

“Mayumi!” Mito called, watching Gon collide with the older girl, who caught him, neutral face morphing into a grin. “Take care of Gon!”

Her reply was a wave and a smile, that same passion that Mito recognized from Ging lighting up her eyes. Then, she turned and chased after Gon, who had started his sprint towards the docks.

They had to push through the crowd of Island folk to get to the ship, which would be setting sail any minute. Gon cried out excitedly, and immediately began waving to the crowd once on the ship. Mayumi kept a close eye on him, as she settled their travel bags against one side of the ship and sat down, hands on her knees. Gon continued waving, well after the crowd of people was out of sight, and most details of Whale Island couldn’t be distinguished.

“I’m going to become the best Hunter in the world!” Gon yelled out over the ocean, “Once I become the best Hunter in the world, I’ll come back!”

Behind him, an entire deck of big, burly men chuckled cruelly.

“The best Hunter in the world?” Someone snickered. Gon blinked, and turned to look at them, brows furrowing. Mayumi glanced at all the men, narrowing her eyes.

“The kid doesn’t respect us.”

“Every year, there are millions of skilled applicants for the Hunter Exam, but only a handful are selected. Don’t say stuff you can’t back up, boy.”

Gon remained silent, and walked a few steps forward. Mayumi followed his movement with her eyes, before shaking her head and closing her eyes. There wasn’t much trouble Gon could get into while they were on the ship. As long as these men didn’t start a fight, he would be fine. After a decent amount of time spent in silence, a shadow blocked out the sun that was shining in her face.

Brows furrowing, she opened her eyes, seeing a pair of disgusting, hairy, knobby knees in front of her. Crinkling her nose in distaste, she angled her head upwards to look at the stranger’s face. It was one of the men that had been rude to Gon. He was bald, with scars over his face. A silver earring glinted in the sun as he smirked down at her.

“Well, well,” his voice was just as annoying as the first time he spoke. “What do we have here? A little on-ship entertainment?” He squatted down and grabbed at her waist with grubby hands, ginning. “Come on, then. Entertain me.”

‘ _Disgusting_ ,’ Mayumi thought idly, suddenly wishing she had asked Mito to make her a longer shirt for the journey. The one she wore now was suited for the hot days on Whale Island, black, ending just above the curve of her waist, where the man had placed his hands. With a mildly irritated sigh, Mayumi flicked her wrist, a sharp slap echoed in the air, and the man was sent stumbling back. When he regained his balance, Mayumi was standing, ignoring him in favor of brushing sand and dust off the back of her shorts.

“Why, you little bitch!” he lunged for her, and she prepared herself, muscles twitching in anticipation, but a blur of blue and yellow moved in front of her, and suddenly the man was on his ass, and a blonde boy who looked to be about Mayumi’s own age stood in front of her, so close her nose was brushing against his back, as he looked down on the man with narrowed, dark grey eyes. His blue tabard with red trim flowed in the ocean breeze. The scent of sandalwood and vanilla assaulted her nostrils, and her eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. On instinct, she took another deep breath.

“That’s no way to speak to a lady,” he warned, voice calm, but low and threatening. “leave now and I’ll forget this ever happened.”

The man, still shocked from the double blow his ego had received, stood and stumbled away, raucous laughter from the other men following him. The boy’s shoulders, which had been tense during the confrontation, relaxed, and he turned to Mayumi. His dark eyes were still narrowed.

“You were going to let him attack you!” He accused.

“No,” Mayumi shrugged, “I was going to move so he fell overboard,” she gestured to the rail of the ship behind her. As she did so, the boy's eyes zeroed in on the spade shaped Mark on the inside of her right wrist. He felt his heart stop beating, felt his breath catch in his throat. ' _Of all the times..._ ' he thought. Subconsciously, he tugged the sleeve of his shirt down further over his own wrist. “But thank you for your intervention, regardless. My name is Mayumi Freecs.” She gave a bow, a mannerism drilled into her by Mito since she was young.

“I’m Kurapika,” the boy simply bowed his head.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

Kurapika opened his mouth to say something else, perhaps to scold her again for allowing someone twice her size to charge her, but seagulls began screeching above them, flying in erratic circles. Mayumi frowned, before sniffing the air. Her frown deepened, clearly not liking what she smelled.

“Excuse me,” she said, and took quick strides to the railing of the upper deck. Gon was in the crow’s nest of the lower deck’s mast, nose sticking up in the air. “Gon!” She called, and he looked back at her. “Get down here before the storm comes!”

“Un!” He quickly scaled down the mast, and ran back up the stairs to the second deck, standing in front of his sister, eyes wide and worried. “It’s a big one, aneki!”

“Yes,” Mayumi agreed, “we should get below deck before things get bad.” She pushed him towards the door to the lower decks, going to grab their packs from where she had left them. In the distance, thunder rumbled. Kurapika was standing in the same spot she’d left him in, and so, as she hoisted her pack onto her shoulder, she looked up at him. “There’s a storm coming,” she informed, “if you don’t want a shower, I suggest you get below deck.” As she grabbed Gon’s pack as well, she was pleased to see that the blonde followed after a moment.

* * *

The Captain of the ship grumbled as he walked down the halls below deck.

“What a lousy crew _._ ” He opened a door, where all of the applicants were unconscious, or groaning in pain, tossed amongst the storage. The Captain scoffed. “Not one of them can stand! Pathetic. And they’re supposed to be taking the Hunter Examination? What a laugh!”

“Here are some herbs!” A young voice broke the Captain from his laughter. The boy that had been climbing the mast earlier, Gon, the girl in the shorts and crop top had called him, was holding medicinal herbs out towards a man, half conscious against a pole. “If you chew them, you’ll feel a little better.”

“W-Water,” the man begged.

“Un!” Gon nodded, “It’s on it’s way, so hold on.”

“That boy...” The Captain murmured.

“Oi, Gon!” The Captain’s eyes shot to the girl, who wasn’t looking at the boy as she spoke to him, twirling a bo staff in her hands. “Make sure you save some of those herbs for us, okay?”

“Yes, Mayumi-chan!”

‘Mayumi-chan’ smirked, before the spinning of her staff quickened, her feet moving in a more intricate pattern. She danced by a blonde boy in a hammock, who glanced up when she passed him, before shifting his position and turning his eyes back to his book. In the corner, a crunch sounded, and the Captain saw a man in a suit, with small sunglasses perched on his nose, biting into an apple.

“Ai!” He cried, face screwing up, “That is one sour apple!”

‘ _I see_ ,” The Captain thought, smirking, ‘ _There are a few tough nuts on board!_ ’

“Excuse me!” One of the cabin boys, Katsuo, ran in, holding a cup of water, making the Captain stumble against the door. “H-Here is your water!”

“Thank you!” Gon accepted the cup with a grin. He passed it to the sick man, helping to lift it to his lips. “Here, drink your fill.”

Katsuo smiled, watching Gon. Mayumi, the blonde, and the man in the suit all glanced at the young boy, pride, curiosity, and disdain written on their respective faces.

When the sick man finished drinking, Gon passed the cup back to Katsuo.

“Thanks! I really appreciate it, Katsuo-san!”

“Alright!” The Captain finally interrupted, making the four conscious applicants look up at him, “You four, come with me!”

They followed the man up to the wheelhouse, where he stood, looking at them expectantly. Katsuo stood with a clipboard off to the side.

“First, tell me your names.”

“I’m Gon!” The boy reached his hand high in the air.

“Mayumi,” the girl placed her hand on top of the boy’s head, “I’m Gon’s sister.”

“I’m Kurapika,” the blond spoke quietly.

“It’s Leorio,” the man in the suit looked like he really didn’t want to be in the wheelhouse, irritation clear on his face.

“Why do you want to be Hunters?”

“Oi!” Leorio pointed an accusatory finger at the Captain, who stood with his hands in his pockets, “If you’re not an examiner, you can’t boss us around!”

“Just answer the question.”

Gon, who had been looking at Leorio, turned and smiled to the Captain. “Our dad is a Hunter!” He gestured between Mayumi and himself, “We left Whale Island because we wanted to know why our dad desired to be a Hunter more than he wanted us.”

‘ _Whale Island?_ ’ The Captain thought, eyeing the two, black haired children, _‘So these are Ging’s children. The day has finally come.’_

“Actually, I couldn’t care less about finding our father. I want to protect Gon,” Mayumi spoke up, “and I want to do great things with my life. Sorting through fish each day? The tedium of Island life? That’s not in the qualification of great things.”

“Hey, you two!” Two pairs of identical brown eyes looked up at Leorio. “You’re not supposed to answer his question.”

“Why can’t I tell him why I’m here?!” Gon protested. Mayumi turned her eyes forward with a sigh.

“I didn’t see the harm. My reasons for wanting to be a Hunter aren’t a secret.”

“Not team players, huh?” Leorio pressed a finger against Gon’s head, pushing it backwards at an angle. “I _don’t_ wish to reveal why I’m here.”

Mayumi slapped the man’s hand away from her brother’s head, eyes narrowing.

“I agree with Leorio,” Kurapika murmured, eyes closed.

“Huh? Hey!” Leorio’s accusatory stance was turned on Kurapika. “Aren’t you younger than me? Show some respect!”

Kurapika opened his eyes, face neutral, “It’s quite simple to avoid answering pesky questions by offering a plausible lie.”

“Hey! Are you listening to me?!”

“However, it is quite shameful to rely upon deceit.That being said, if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets,” he placed a hand over his heart, gripping the material of his tabard tightly, “that is why I cannot provide an answer.”

“Don’t you ignore me!” Leorio leaned over Gon’s head, across Mayumi’s entire body, to glare at Kurapika.

“In other words,” the Captain mused, “you refuse to answer my question. Hey, Katsuo!”

“Yes, Captain!”

“Tell the Examination Board we have two more dropouts.”

Kurapika and Leorio gasped at this.

“What do you mean?” Leorio’s shock quickly turned to anger.

“You still don’t understand? The Hunter Examination has already begun.”

“What?!”

The waves outside shook the ship, making them all stumble slightly. Mayumi tensed and gripped Gon’s shoulders, keeping him upright.

“There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky,” the Captain explained, “The examiners don’t have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us, to trim the fat. I’ve already notified the Board that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw. If they can’t handle this storm, there’s no way they’d be able to handle the Hunter Examination’s later stages.”

“In other words, we only get to the Main Exam if you pass us?” Mayumi elaborated, tightening her grip on Gon a fraction more, as lightning struck.

“Correct. So think carefully before you answer my question.”

Kurapika closed his eyes again, deep in thought.

“So much for not wanting to reveal your motives, Leorio-san,” Mayumi teased, sticking out her tongue. Leorio growled, grinding his teeth together as he leaned towards her.

“He should have told us sooner.”

“I am the last survivor of the Kurta clan.” Leorio and Mayumi fell silent, their heads turned towards Kurapika as he spoke. “Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a Hunter to hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe.”

“So you want to become a bounty hunter?” The Captain smirked, “The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You’d be throwing away your life.”

“I do not fear death.” Kurapika’s eyes turned a deep scarlet, for just barely a second. Gon and Leorio were too busy looking at the ground to see it, but Mayumi noticed. “I only fear that my rage will fade over time.”

Mesmerized, Mayumi’s jaw dropped just a little, and a pink tint took over her cheeks. Her heart shuddered in her chest, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She’d never seen such a beautiful shade of red before.

“So,” Leorio spoke, “in other words, you want revenge. Does that require that you become a Hunter?”

“That may be the stupidest question I’ve ever heard, Leorio.”

“That’s Leorio-san to you!” Leorio snapped, finally pushing the Freecs siblings out of his way, and getting into Kurapika’s face. The younger boy ignored him again.

“Places accessible only to Hunters...Information otherwise unattainable...Actions otherwise impossible...there are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle.”

“Hey!” Leorio was fuming, but Gon appeared in front of him, waving a hand in the air.

“Why do you want to become a Hunter, Leorio-san!?”

“Me?” He relaxed, smirking at the young boy, “I’ll make it short. I want money. Money can get you everything! A big house, a nice car, good liquor!”

“You can’t buy class, Leorio.”

Mayumi, who was still staring at Kurapika, blinked at the boy’s harsh words.

“O-oi, Kurapika...Maybe you shouldn’t-”

“That’s three times now.” Leorio murmured, straightening up with a dark look on his face. “Step outside. I’ll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now.”

Kurapika’s eyes snapped open, a look of shocked anger on his face. “Take that back, Leorio!” The older boy opened the door and looked back at Kurapika, who was glaring straight at him. “Take that back.”

“That’s Leorio-san to you.” The older man walked out the door, scowling.

Kurapika snarled, and followed Leorio out the door.

“Hey, boys!” The Captain protested, “I’m not done here yet!”

“Let them go,” Mayumi sighed. She reached up and ran a hand through her bangs.

“Huh?”

“Mito-san once told us...” Gon began, staring at the door sagely, “That if you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort to learn why they’re angry. They need to understand why they’re mad, so we need to let them settle it themselves.”

“Hmm.” The Captain agreed, smiling slightly.

A gasp from the helmsman echoed through the wheelhouse, alerting them to danger.

“Captain! Look!”

Outside, spiraling up from the ocean, was a funnel of water. Mayumi’s eyes widened.

“If we hit that waterspout, the ship will sink!” Katsuo cried.

“Lower the sails!” The Captain ordered.

“Aye!”

“We’ll help!” Gon said, then looked up at his sister, “Right, aneki?”

“Right,” Mayumi agreed, slipping the bo staff off her back to give her more free movement.

“Okay, come with me!” Katsuo ran out, followed closely by Mayumi and Gon.

“Hurry!” Sailors were crying, somehow not slipping on the slick deck, all rushing to get the sails down. Katsuo, Mayumi and Gon each grabbed a rope with other sailors, and began pulling hard, closing the sails slowly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mayumi saw Kurapika and Leorio facing each other, glaring one-another down. A wave crashed onto the deck, soaking them even more than the rain, but they payed it no mind.

“Take back what you said!” Kurapika demanded, “Take back your words, and I’ll forgive you, Leorio.”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Leorio narrowed his eyes, “you should show me some respect.” He pulled a knife out, getting into a fighting stance.

Kurapika muttered something under his breath, and pulled out his own weapons, a set of bokken, handles wrapped in bandages and attached by a string. Neither he, nor Leorio seemed to care about the approaching waterspout.

A particularly strong gust of wind pulled at the sails, making everyone drop the rope and duck for cover. Everyone, that is, except for Katsuo. The cabin boy went flying, the rope flinging him straight over everyone’s heads, and off the side of the ship.

“Katsuo-san!” Gon cried, running after him.

Kurapika and Leorio both noticed Katsuo, and then Gon, flying over the side of the ship. As Gon caught Katsuo, the bigger boy’s momentum took them straight for the sea. Kurapika and Leorio’s weapons clattered to the ground, and, almost as one, gripped the railing and flinging themselves forward to try and catch Gon with their free hands. By mere inches, the boy’s shoes slipped from their grip, and continued his fall.

In Kurapika’s peripheral, he caught a flash of darkness, before Mayumi also went soaring off the ship with a cry of, “Idiot!” gripping Gon’s ankles in her hands. Kurapika and Leorio both reached out again, the Kurta’s fingers snagging the waistband of her shorts, Leorio grasping the back of her shirt. Mayumi, Gon and Katsuo’s free fall ended abruptly, the deckhand’s lower half hitting the water with a loud splash. Mayumi was pulled up with a sharp tug, and so she adjusted her grip on her brother so that her arms wrapped around his waist instead. He took a deep breath of air, pulling an unconscious Katsuo out of the ocean.

“Ah, Gon,” Mayumi sighed, pressing her face into his hair, “look at all the trouble you caused.”

Gon grinned, letting his sister support his weight as Kurapika, Leorio, and the other sailors pulled them back onto the ship, as it was successfully steered away from the waterspout.

* * *

Mayumi had a grin on her face, as she squeezed the water out of her hair. Above them, the clouds were giving way to blue sky once more. Gon sat by her feet, staring up at an annoyed Leorio and an exasperated Kurapika.

“You idiots!” Leorio ranted, “If we hadn’t have caught Mayumi-chan, both of you would be shark bait by now!”

“I could probably take a shark,” Mayumi joked, nudging Gon with her booted foot. He looked up at her and grinned brightly.

“Honestly, how reckless can you get,” Kurapika crossed his arms and looked away, eyebrows furrowing slightly, “that’s twice in one journey you’ve done something stupid, Mayumi.”

“Going after my brother is never something I consider stupid, Kurapika,” Mayumi said, tone and face serious, “and it’s something nobody can stop me from doing. Like I said, part of the reason I want to become a Hunter is because I want to protect him.”

“Besides,” Gon said, looking up at his three elders, “You did catch aneki.”

“Huh?”

Mayumi smiled softly and folded her hands in front of her, bowing. “You both caught me, when I caught Gon. Thank you so much for helping me save my brother.”

“W-Well, I mean...Don’t mention it.” Leorio muttered, as Kurapika closed his eyes and looked away again, trying to seem like he wasn’t just as embarrassed as the suited man. His pink tinged face gave him away.

“Gon!”

“Hm?” All four applicants turned to see Katsuo rushing towards them, grinning widely. “You saved my life. Thank you!”

“I couldn’t have done it alone. Aneki and the others helped save you.”

Mayumi smirked as Kurapika and Leorio appeared shocked to have been acknowledged.

“Thank you very much!” Katsuo assumed the same position Mayumi held moments earlier.

“Of course, Katsuo-san,” Mayumi’s smirk turned to a smile, “thank you for being so kind to Gon!”

“No, you don’t need to thank me, Katsuo” Kurapika turned away from Katsuo as well, and Mayumi snickered. The blond was clearly bad with being shown gratitude.

“Well...Yeah, I’m glad you’re alright,” Leorio chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing.

“Yeah!” Katsuo gave one last bow, “I’ll be returning to my station now!”

Kurapika glanced at Leorio, and upon seeing the blush on his cheeks, let out a quiet chuckle and smiled softly.

“What?” Leorio growled, mood darkening slightly.

“I apologize for my rude behavior,” Kurapika told him, “I’m sorry, Leorio-san.”

The flustered blush was instantly back, “What’s with the sudden change? We sound like strangers. Just call me Leorio. Leorio works!” He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m also sorry. I take back everything I said. I was wrong.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Mayumi sighed happily and slumped down next to Gon so he was taller than her, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

“What a relief!” Her hand shot out suddenly, and her staff hit her palm with a sharp sting. Looking to the side, she saw the Captain standing there, a tankard of ale in one hand, his pipe hanging from his lips. He was roaring with laughter as Mayumi sat up straight and slipped the staff into place on her back.

“I like you guys!” The Captain praised. “Okay! I’ll take responsibility for taking you to the port closest to the Exam site.”

“Really?” Gon cried, excitement in his voice, “What about your test?!”

“Like I said, It’s my decision to make, and all four of you pass!”

Leorio and Kurapika broke out into smiles, Mayumi started laughing, and Gon jumped into her arms with an exuberant cry of, “Yay!”

Mayumi spun Gon in a circle, as they both laughed together. And so began their journey, to follow in their father’s footsteps and become Hunters.


	2. Test X of X Tests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gon gets some advice, Leorio tries to beat an old woman to death with a blunt object, Kurapika jumps out a window, and Mayumi kicks a Magical Beast right in the face.

Dolle Harbor was bustling far more that Whale Island ever had. Mayumi waited, slightly impatiently, for Gon to catch up to her. Leorio and Kurapika were already pretty far ahead of them, but Gon had insisted on staying behind a bit to thank the Captain.

“I had a great time!” Gon exclaimed, shaking the Captain’s hand. The large man laughed.

“I had fun, too,” he admitted. “Right! As a token of my appreciation, I’ll give you a little advice.”

“Advice?” Gon repeated.

“Yep. See that big cedar tree on the hilltop?” The Captain pointed to a huge hill, which rose above the city. At the top, rising above all the rest of the trees, were the branches of a large cedar.

“Un!”

“You should make your way there, first. It’s a shortcut to the Exam site.”

“A shortcut?!” Gon cried, seeing Mayumi start walking again,. “I got it! So we just need to head to that tree. I’ll do that! Thank you!”

The Captain winked, and reached up to grab his pipe. “Best of luck!” He wished.

“Yep!” Gon started running off for Mayumi, who had met up with Kurapika and Leorio at a town map, leaping in the air as he bid farewell to the Captain, “Same to you! Take care!” He collided into Mayumi with such force that she stumbled a bit. “Aneki! The Captain said to head for the cedar tree on the hill!”

“I heard him,” Mayumi chuckled, placing a hand on his head.

“Hm, that’s strange,” Leorio mused, looking up at the map.

“What is?”

Leorio held up a piece of paper, “According to the notice I received, the Exam is supposedly being held in Zaban City.” Leorio then gestured to the map, “Right now we’re here, the tree the Captain mentioned is in the opposite direction.”

“Perhaps you misheard him?” Kurapika asked, but Mayumi shook her head.

“He said to head for the cedar tree on the hilltop,” she promised.

“I see...” Kurapika placed a fist to his chin in thought.

“And this notice isn’t any help!” Leorio grumbled, glaring at the paper in his hand. “Where exactly in Zaban City are we meant to go?”

“Our task is to find the Exam site using a limited amount of information,” Kurapika explained, “Just another test before we’ll be allowed to take the Hunter Exam.”

“I-I knew that!” Leorio snapped.

“Anyway, I’ll go take a look,” Gon started to walk away, hand gripping his sister’s “The Captain must have had a reason to suggest that.”

Leorio was about to shrug, but noticed Mayumi walking away as well, mostly still facing them as she let Gon drag her away. “Hey, Hey! Are you serious?! The bus to Zaban is about to leave! We should just take it!”

“No thanks!” Mayumi waved, “In my experience, the simplest and easiest way to do things isn’t always the best or the right way to do things.” She faced forward and matched pace with Gon.

“Man,” Leorio scoffed, placing a hand to his head. “They’ve got to learn that you can’t trust anyone you come across..”

Kurapika let out a single chuckle, before following after the Freecs siblings.

“Huh?” Leorio noticed the blonde was no longer at his side, “Hey! Kurapika!”

“Gon’s behavior interests me more than the Captain’s advice. And I think I’d like to see what lengths Mayumi would go to keep him safe. I’m going with them.”

“Oh, is that so?” Leorio mocked, narrowing his eyes and tucking his paper into his inside pocket. “See you! Wasn’t very long...nice knowing you!” He continued to grumble as he walked towards the bus. “Guess he’s not as independent as I thought...I’m just gonna take the bus.”

In the shadows of the alley he was passing, a hushed voice was speaking, “So it was a trap...”

Leorio froze, and his ears strained to pick up on the conversation.

“Seems none of the busses have made it to Zaban city,” another voice responded.

A chuckle, then, “Rookies usually fail this part because they’re too naive.”

Leorio turned on his heel and started running after Gon, Mayumi and Kurapika, who were now well out of sight. “Wait, wait, wait!” he shouted, “Wait for me!”

When he caught up to them, he saw Kurapika carrying Mayumi’s pack and bo staff, and Gon was on his sister’s back. He stopped running, breathing rather hard.

“Leorio!” Mayumi greeted, “You decided to come along!”

“Well, I knew you guys would be lonely without me. And it’s no fun travelling alone. So I decided to stick with you guys a bit longer.

Mayumi grinned and hoisted Gon higher on her back, soldiering on.

* * *

 

Gon’s feet hit the dirt, sending a small cloud of dust upwards. Mayumi breathed a small sigh of relief, bending over and resting her hands on her knees for a moment. Gon wasn’t really heavy, it was just that carrying him for a couple hours, uphill, wasn’t exactly comfortable. When she had caught her breath, she stood up straight and kept waking, placing herself between Gon and Kurapika, with Leorio just behind her.

They were in what appeared to be an abandoned village, the wind rustling through the buildings the only sound other than their steady footsteps. A crow cawed out a warning.

“This place is creepy,” Leorio murmured, “I don’t see a single person.”

“No, there are plenty here,” Gon corrected.

“How can you tell?”

Mayumi tapped the side of her nose, “We can smell them.”

As she lowered her hand again, a door opened, and strange individuals in white robes and masks, with colorful tufts of fur began wheeling a huge cart with what looked like a festival stand on it. Sitting at the stand, surrounded by more individuals these ones with instruments, was an old woman dressed like a priestess.

“What’s with the freak show?” Leorio questioned. Mayumi narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head slightly over her shoulder as she felt a foreign aura touching the outskirts of her own. It appears they had been followed. She placed a protective hand on Gon’s shoulder, turning her attention forward again.

“Exciting...” The old woman said, her eyes closed, hands crossed under her chin.

“E-Exciting?” Leorio repeated, tensing up.

“Exciting...”

“Exciting.” Leorio gulped nervously.

“Exciting two-choice quiz!” The woman hollered, and the band behind her played a half-hearted tune. The group of applicants stood there, looks of disbelief on all of their faces. Mayumi rubbed her forehead with a sigh.

“You kids are headed for that tree on the hill, correct? To reach that tree, you must pass through this town.” Everyone tensed up again, expecting some kind of great danger. “I shall administer a single-question quiz.”

“H-hold on! What’s happening, here?!”

“You will have five seconds to state your answer. Give the wrong answer and you’re disqualified. You’ll have to give up on taking this year’s Hunter Exam.”

“I see...” Kurapika mused, a small smile gracing his features despite his nerves, “then this is a part of the Hunter Exam.”

“I see how it is!” Leorio set the briefcase he always carried with him on the ground gently, “I happen to be a quiz expert.” Then he realized what the woman had said. “Wait! Only one question?!”

“Your answer will be either the number 1 or 2,” the woman explained, holding up first one finger, then two. “Any other answer will be considered incorrect.”

“Hold on a second! So all of us share one question? If one of them answers incorrectly, I’m disqualified too?”

“As if that would happen!” Kurapika snapped at Leorio. Gon grinned sheepishly, as Mayumi sighed in exasperation. Kurapika continued,“What I’m concerned about is the high likelihood of the vice versa happening.”

“What was that?!”

“Don’t you two _dare_ start fighting again!” Both boys glanced at Mayumi.

“And, you know, this way’s easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer!” Gon cried, throwing his hands in the air. “I’m not good at quizzes.”

“I suppose...” Leorio sighed, backing out of his confrontational stance.

“Fair point,” Kurapika admitted. He glanced at Mayumi again as she moved in front of Gon, eyes narrowed. He was confused until a new voice called out impatiently.

“Hey, there!” A man had approached their group, dressed in a martial arts uniform and was smirking at them as they floundered. “Hurry it up, before I answer the question.”

“Who are you?” Leorio demanded.

“He followed us here,” Mayumi said.

“Un!” Gon agreed, “all the way from the port.”

“Sorry, kid,” the man held out his arms in a semblance of a shrug. “I happened to overhear your conversation.”

“What will you do?” The woman inquired.

“He seems eager to take it,” Leorio said, “We should let him go first, that way, we know what kind of question to expect.”

“I don’t mind.” Gon said, grabbing Mayumi’s hand. Kurapika nodded.

“I have no objections.”

“I’ll get to it, then!” The man said, as a podium was set in front of him.

“Here is your question.” Behind the woman, one of the robed people squeaked a horn, and the crow cawed in the distance. “Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You can only save one. Select 1 for your mother or 2 for your lover. Which will you save?”

Everyone but the man gasped quietly.

“H-How is this even a quiz?” Leorio asked, an edge of anger to his voice.

Kurapika gritted his teeth and dipped his chin slightly.

“Heh,” the man at the podium smirked, then slammed his hand down on the button, “The answer is 1!”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

“Because you can’t replace your mother, but you can find another lover.” He said this as though it were obvious.

“What?!” Leorio growled, his anger bordering on outrage.

The crow cawed again, and the old woman gestured behind her with a thumb.

“You may pass.”

“What?!”

“You just have to tell the old hag what she wants to hear,” the man said, before taking off for the path beyond the stand. “Adios!”

“Hey! That’s all bull!” Leorio protested, throwing an arm out, “How was that the right answer!? We’re supposed to give the old lady the answer she wants?! And that’s considered correct?” Nobody spoke. “Hey! Say something!”

“I won’t put up with this sham,” Leorio grumbled, turning away, “I’ll find a different route.”

“It’s too late,” the old woman spoke up, “refuse to take the quiz and you’re disqualified.”

Leorio was starting to shake with his anger now, as he glared at the old woman. “That’s ridiculous! Different people would expect different answers! There is no right answer.”

Kurapika’s head shot up, as though he’d realized something.

“No right answer...” he murmured, “I see. Leorio!” He turned, but the old woman reached a hand out.

“Wait! Not another word from you,” she snapped, “say anything but the answer, and you’ll be disqualified.”

Mayumi’s brows furrowed slightly. That wasn’t fair at all. What was it that was so important that they were now bound to silence. Her eyes widened. ‘ _There’s no right answer!_ ’ she realized, ‘ _No answer but silence._ ’

“Here is your question!” The horn was honked, the crow cawed. “Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You can only save one. Select 1 for your son, and 2 for your daughter. Which will you rescue?”

Behind her, Mayumi could hear Leorio growling.

“Five.”

Leorio walked off, where several wooden planks were leaned against the wall.

“Four.”

He picked up one of the planks and began swinging it through the air testing it’s weight.

“Three.”

Kurapika and Mayumi were tensed as Leorio got more and more agitated. Gently, Mayumi pushed Gon, who was deep in thought, out of the man’s path.

“Two.”

Mayumi’s hands twitched towards Kurapika, who still held her bo staff in one hand. Her fingers brushed the wood.

“One. Buzz! Time’s up!”

Leorio launched, and Mayumi gripped her bo staff just as Kurapika made a break for Leorio.

In what seemed to be half a second, Leorio’s plank struck Kurapika’s bokken, keeping Leorio from harming the woman, and Mayumi’s staff was swept under Leorio’s feet, toppling him. Behind the two young teenagers, the woman’s face remained apathetic.

“Don’t stop me! I won’t be satisfied until I teach this hag a lesson!” Leorio growled, on his feet again in an instant. Again the plank clashed with Kurapika’s bokken. Mayumi jabbed Leorio gently in the chest with her bo staff. He backed off, holding the bruised spot with a glare on his face.

“Calm down, Leorio!” Mayumi begged.

“Why should I calm down!?”

“You’ll waste our correct response!” Kurapika growled.

“Huh? Correct response?” Leorio instantly backed down.

“We gave the correct answer,” Mayumi sighed, slipping her bo staff into place on her back.

“Silence was the correct response,” Kurapika added, “You hit the nail on the head. There is no right answer. But we could only state 1 or 2 as the answer. In other words, we weren’t meant to respond at all. Silence was the right answer.”

“But what about that other guy?” Leorio gestured behind the stand.

“She never said he gave the right answer,” Mayumi said, shrugging, “she only said, ‘you may pass’.” she turned to the woman, “This path is the wrong path, isn’t it?”

The woman’s stoic face morphed into a smile, as she stood, her chair scraping across the wood. She stepped down a small set of stairs, saying, “Precisely. The correct path is over here.”

The door the cloaked people had pushed the stand through opened again, revealing a long tunnel with light at the end of it. “This leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours, and you’ll reach the top.”

“Oh, so that’s what this was about,” Leorio mused quietly, staring down the tunnel.

“A couple lives in the cabin that lays at the base of the tree. They serve as Navigators. If you meet their standards, I believe they will lead you to the Exam site.”

Leorio dropped the remnants of his plank, and bowed to the old woman.

“Gran,” he said, “I’m sorry for my rudeness.”

“Don’t be,” she shrugged, “I don’t mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you.”

“Huh?”

She turned and smiled her gap-toothed grin up at Leorio.

“Do your best to become a great Hunter.”

Leorio’s face went from shocked to bashful, and he grinned down at the old woman.

From behind them, a loud, frustrated sigh sounded, and they turned in time to see Gon collapse into a heap on the ground, rubbing the back of his head.

“It’s no use!” He said, “I can’t think of an answer.”

After a moment of stunned shock, Leorio and Kurapika started laughing, and Mayumi smiled, crouching down in front of him.

“You were still trying to find an answer?” Leorio chuckled, “You can stop!”

“Huh? Why?”

“The quiz is over,” Kurapika explained softly.

“I know. But...what if I run into a situation like that, and I can only save one person? What do I do then?” Kurapika and Leorio both had faces of slight shock and awe now. Mayumi, however was still smiling, listening to her brother talk. “It wouldn’t be right to chose one person, but one day I may have to make that choice.”

Mayumi’s smile dropped just a bit, and she grabbed Gon’s hands, pulling him up as she stood to her full height.

“Come on, Gon,” she said softly, “let’s go to the tree.”

Gon’s face was cleared of distress, and he nodded up at Mayumi.

“Un!” he agreed, and, holding her hand tightly, the siblings sandwiched between Kurapika and Leorio, they walked into the dark tunnel.

* * *

 

“It’s totally dark out,” Leorio grumbled, as they walked on a forest path. “Walk for two hours,” he said mockingly, “it was two hours, two hours ago! Damn!” Ahead of him, Mayumi, Kurapika and Gon ignored him. Leorio stopped at a sign and read it. “Another ‘Beware of Magical Beasts’ sign? Ugh,” he dropped his head in exasperation, “Are we ever gonna make it to the Exam site?”  He turned to the group, who had paused a couple dozen feet away. “I’m hungry!” he wailed, waving his arms in the air like he was some kind of huge, suited, exotic bird, “I need to take a dump!”

“Leorio!” Gon scolded, “We’ll leave you behind!”

“I gotta take a leak, too!”

“So go find a bush!” Mayumi snapped, “We’re surrounded by them!”

Kurapika rolled his eyes and looked away, then his eyes widened when he saw what was just up ahead.

“I see it!” A smile made his face light up

“Hmm?” Mayumi looked up to see that, indeed, the house at the base of the tree was visible. Gon cheered loudly, before running off towards the house.

“Come on, guys!” He urged, looking over his shoulder at his companions.

Mayumi cupped her hands around her mouth to call after him, “Gon, watch where you’re going! It’s dark! You’re gonna trip!” And, true to her word, Gon tripped over one of the tree’s roots a few moments later. “Ah, Gon,” she sighed, before shifting her pack on her back and jogging over to help him. He laughed sheepishly as Mayumi gripped his forearms and pulled him onto his feet. “I told you to watch out.”

“Sorry, aneki,” he rubbed the back of his head, still grinning up at her, “I guess I got a little carried away.”

Leorio and Kurapika caught up to them, the oldest of the group walking up the steps to the house to knock on the door.

“Anyone home?” he called, trying to look through the windows. There was no answer.

“Guess not,” Gon mused.

Leorio gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly with a call of, “Coming in!”

The instant the door was open, Mayumi grabbed Gon and hauled him behind her, much to the others’ shock. Gon winced and covered his nose, getting a whiff of what his sister had smelled. He pulled out his fishing pole and held it out in front of himself for protection.

When the moonlight spread across the floor of the home, Leorio and Kurapika saw what had gotten the Freecs siblings worked up. Standing in the middle of the single room home, was a large, fox looking creature that stood on two legs, with slitted, glowing red eyes. It gave a strange ‘keh-keh-keh-keh’ laugh. At it’s feet a man lay bleeding. It dawned on the boys that the scent of blood had been what tipped the Freecs’ off to danger. They cursed themselves for not noticing it as well.

“A Magical Beast!” Leorio cried, as the three older teens brought their own weapons out.

“A Magical Beast?!” Gon repeated, pressing himself into his sister’s back tightly.

“I believe it’s called a kiriko. It’s a Magical Beast that can take human form. They’re incredibly intelligent!”

With an evil looking grin, the kiriko turned towards them. And in its arms...

“It’s got a woman!” Gon gasped. Mayumi tightened her grip on her bo staff, eyes narrowing.

“And the guy on the floor needs medical attention, right away,” Leorio growled, taking a step forward. In response, the kiriko jumped from the window, still clutching it’s hostage.

Kurapika and Gon ran to the window, watching it flee, as Mayumi and Leorio moved to the injured man on the floor. He reached his hand out to the black haired girl, clutching at the bottom of her shirt. Behind him, Leorio opened his suitcase to reveal medical supplies.

“Please, you have to save my wife!”

Gon hopped out the window, and Kurapika took off his satchel before following after him.

“Oi, Gon!” Mayumi called, her entire body straining towards her brother. Biting her lip, she looked down at the man. She smiled softly, took his hand gently, and patted it. “Don’t you worry,” she murmured, “We’re going to get your wife back safe and sound.” She set his hand down, and turned bright brown eyes upon Leorio. “Take care of him.”

“I got it. Go take care of those two!”

With a firm nod, Mayumi turned and jumped out of the window, already trying to follow Gon’s scent.

Trees blurred by as she ran through the woods. Wrinkling her nose in annoyance, she realized she smelled Gon everywhere, and nowhere at the same time. Searching for her brother, who smelled like a forest, was useless when she was _surrounded_ by forest. Instead, she skidded to a stop, and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she could smell sandalwood and vanilla somewhere in the distance, off to her left. She quickly made her way in that direction.

She found the blonde in a clearing, with the kidnapped woman and- ‘ _Leorio_?’ Mayumi thought, brows furrowing as she got closer. She’d left Leorio with the injured man. He hadn’t followed her, she would have known. And whoever this was, he didn’t reek of too much cologne like Leorio did. So, with narrowed eyes, Mayumi gave a running kick, straight to the man’s face.

“Kurapika!” She cried, standing on the false Leorio, as she stared down at the Kurta, “where’s Gon?”

Kurapika lifted an arm and pointed through the trees. “He went that way!”

Mayumi made to go after her brother, but the false Leorio stood suddenly, throwing her off balance. Mayumi landed hard on her behind, next to Kurapika.

“How did you know where to find your friend?” He asked, holding his face where she had kicked him. Slowly, his form morphed into that of a kiriko. “How did you know I was an imposter?”

Mayumi smirked and tapped her nose.

“I see,” the kiriko cackled, then jumped up into the trees. “Then let’s see if you can find the little one before I kill him!”

The threat echoed through the forest. Mayumi gave Kurapika a torn glance.

“Go,” the blonde told her, “I can take care of things here.”

“Thank you, Kurapika!” Mayumi leapt off to follow the kiriko.

Kurapika stared after her until she was out of sight, then turned to the purple headed woman who sat on the ground beside him.

“Now, I need you to answer my question.” He narrowed his eyes and lifted his bokken to her throat, “who are you?”

* * *

 

Gon landed on a tree branch, pausing to look around. Rustling in front of him made his head snap around. He caught just the slightest glance of the kiriko fleeing.

“Wait!” He cried. He followed it through the trees, only to gasp as he saw nothing but open air beneath him. The kiriko had led him straight off the edge of a cliff. Thinking quickly, Gon let his fishing line fly, wrapping around a tree branch. He used it to swing to the cliff face, and push himself back up to solid land.

A cackle came from up above, and Gon turned to see a kiriko perched atop a tall pine.

“For a kid, you’re pretty quick. Didn’t expect you to land a blow on me.”

Gon stared up at it, utter confusion written across his face. Then he started looking around again.

The kiriko jumped from it’s tree and landed in front of Gon, shaking the earth beneath it’s feet. It raised its long clawed hand high in the air.

“You’re about to discover the high price that accomplishment comes with!”

As the kiriko was about to strike the boy down, a stinging blow to the back of the knees made it’s legs go out beneath it. The sound of wood clattering to the ground sounded, and then an arm came around it’s neck, trapping it in a headlock. Gon blinked at the person behind the kiriko.

“Aneki?”

“Gon!” Her voice was strained, as she struggled to hold the kiriko still. “Gon, are you okay?!” she gave him a once over, and gave him a smile when she found no injuries. “You’re fine. Thank goodness!”

“Aneki, who's that? That’s not the one I hit.” Gon pointed at the kiriko. Mayumi glanced down at it, then shrugged as best she could.

“I dunno. Maybe he’s a friend of the other?”

Slowly, the kiriko looked up at them, ceasing it’s struggling.

“How can you tell I’m not the same one?”

“Your face is completely different.” Gon explained. “And your voice is a little higher and thinner.”

“Not to mention your scent is slightly different,” Mayumi added, slowly letting it go when she realized it wasn’t going to attack them, “and your ears are a bit longer.”

The kiriko’s eyes widened, and then it began laughing hysterically. It placed a hand on it’s head as it cackled, turning away from the confused siblings.

“What’s so funny?” Gon tilted his head. The kiriko continued to laugh.

“Hey, sweetheart! Come out here! You’re going to love this!”

* * *

 

At the house, two kirikos sat on the ground in front of the applicants, giddy with excitement. The purple haired woman that had played the part of the hostage, and the blue haired man that had played the part of the injured man stood slightly off to the side. Gon and Mayumi stood in front of the kirikos, with Leorio and Kurapika slightly behind them.

“How long has it been since someone could tell us apart?” the male kiriko murmured to the female.

“I’m so happy!” The wife cried.

Leorio leaned towards Kurapika. “Can you tell their faces and voices apart?”

“No,” Kurapika sighed.

“How about their scents?”

Kurapika took a slow breath in through his nose, but the scent of the kirikos was identical to him. He shook his head.

“No, Not at all. How do they do it?”

“You see?” Gon looked over his shoulder at the two confused teens. “The one Kurapika beat up was the husband. Mayumi-chan beat up the wife.”

“Allow us to introduce ourselves!” The husband kiriko said, as they stood up, all four standing together. “We are the Navigators. Our family lends support to the Hunter Exam.”

“I’m their daughter!” The purple haired girl explained.

“And I’m their son!” The man gave a grin.

“Man,” Leorio sighed, “great job, you sure had us fooled.”

“The Exam site moves around. Keeps it interesting, but it’s difficult to find.”

“So we help by guiding worthy applicants to the Exam site.”

“Oh, so that’s how it works!” Gon exclaimed.

“Gon,” Mayumi scolded, “let them finish!”

“But we don’t help every applicant.” The daughter said, waving her hands around.

“We test applicants to see if they’re qualified to take the exam.” The son added.

“Mr. Kurapika.” The daughter turned to the blonde.

“Yes,”  Kurapika stood a bit straighter upon being addressed.

“We only gave you the vaguest of hints, but you were able to figure out that we weren’t spouses.” She held up her hand, revealing tribal looking tattoos on her wrist and arm. “The hint was these tattoos, which in this region, mark a woman single for life.” She rubbed at her wrist, wiping away the ink. “You demonstrated that you are very knowledgeable. Therefore you pass.”

The group shifted excitedly, as Kurapika let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Way to go, Kurapika!” Gon praised, holding out a fist. Kurapika smiled at the little boy, gently knocking his own fist against Gon’s.

“Thanks.”

“Mr. Leorio,” the son began, making the older teen snap to attention, “You never realized my true identity,” Leorio cringed, “but you dressed my wounds quickly and more thoroughly than any doctor. More importantly, you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe.”

“Aww,” Mayumi teased, poking Leorio in the cheek as he blushed.

“S-Stop it,” he whacked her hand away, “It’s embarrassing.”

“Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. Thus, you pass.”

“R-Really?!” Leorio gasped, then slowly, he sank to the ground. “Thank goodness.”

“You did it,” Gon grinned, and just like with Kurapika, he bumped his fist with Leorio’s.

“Miss Mayumi,” The wife spoke up, “Your tracking abilities, speed and willingness to throw yourself into danger for the ones you care about it outstanding. Your bravery and protective instincts mark you as a worthy applicant of the Hunter Exam. You pass.”

“Yeah, well,” Mayumi rubbed her neck sheepishly, then caught Gon when he leapt at her excitedly.

“Good job, aneki!” Gon cried, squeezing her tightly.

“And finally, Gon-kun,” the husband said, looking at the boy, “Your superhuman physical ability and powers of observation make you worthy of the Hunter Exam. You pass.”

Gon grinned so wide it looked like his face was split in two. Letting Mayumi hold his weight, he reached out and bumped fists with his companions again. The proud look on his sister’s face made him giggle.

“We will now take you to the Exam.”

Without any warning, the two kiriko children shifted into their real forms, lifting into the air on their large wings.

“Mr. Kurapika, please grab onto my ankles!” The daughter kiriko urged. Kurapika spared a glance to the others, before stepping forward, reaching up and grabbing her around the ankles. He was pulled into the air.

“Wow!” Gon cried, scrambling out of Mayumi’s arms and over to the remaining three kirikos. He jumped up and grabbed the husband’s ankles. “Me next!” he was off and flying in the next second.

“Oi, Gon!” Mayumi protested, before she grabbed onto the wife’s ankles and was lifted into the air, leaving Leorio on the ground.

“Hey, you guys, wait for me!”

* * *

 

“Isn’t it great that we all passed?” Gon called, craning his neck to see Mayumi, who was concentrating on not falling to her death. She looked up at him, a grin lighting her face.

“It sure is!”

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up just yet,” Kurapika called. His kiriko was flying at the very back, so everyone had to turn slightly to see him. “We only earned the right to take the Exam. We still need to pass it.”

“It’s progress,” Leorio called back in an easy tone, “I say that calls for a little celebration!”

“Honestly,” Kurapika sighed, “Have some foresight.”

Leorio threw his feet out, attempting to kick at Kurapika, “Do you have to be such a smart-ass all the time?!”

“Hey!” Mayumi’s kiriko snapped, since Leorio’s was carrying his case in it’s mouth. “Stop moving around so much. If you fall, it’s your own fault, you know!”

Gon laughed at the exchange, which prompted Mayumi to smile.

They were on their way to the Exam. Who knew what adventures and trials awaited them?


	3. Rivals X for X Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gon wants steak, Mayumi gets shaken up, Kurapika makes a mistake, Leorio spits out some juice, Hisoka turns a man's arms into some pretty bomb ass flowers, Mila runs into a freakishly-friendly fat man, Killua willingly drinks poison, and the Exam begins.

“So this is Zaban City?” Mayumi wrinkled her nose. There were so many people, it was clouding her senses. “Gon, stay close, alright?” She looked down, but her brother wasn’t there. “Gon? Gon!” She spotted him staring, mystified, at a cart full of sweet buns. “What are you doing?!” She nabbed him by the ear, dragging him back to their group, “Get your ass over here!”

“Ah! Aneki, I’m sorry!” Gon wailed, trying to flee his sister’s grip. She relented, and wrapped a protective arm around his shoulder.

“You gotta stay close,” she warned, “it’s easy to get lost in a place like this.”

“Okay,” Gon agreed easily, tucking himself further into his sister’s embrace. Mayumi smiled and ruffled his hair gently.

Their Navigator, the son of the kirikos, stopped suddenly. “Well, this looks like the place!”

In unison, four heads tilted upwards. Gon gasped excitedly, a big grin growing on his face.

“It’s so tall!” he cried, “They have a really nice building!”

“So this is the Exam site...” Leorio mused softly, “This is what draws....”

Kurapika picked up where the older teen had left off, “Hunter Applicants from all over the world.”

Gon’s hands tightened into fists at his sides, and he looked up at Mayumi, “Our first shot at the Hunter Exam. I wonder if this is how dad felt when he first arrived?”

Mayumi frowned slightly and shrugged her shoulders.

“Hey guys!” The Navigator called, making the whole group blink in confusion. “Over here!”

“Huh?” The looked over to see him standing in front of a rather run down building with a restaurant storefront.

The Navigator pointed at it, “Here.”

“You’re kidding!” Leorio cried, “This is just a regular restaurant! You can’t possibly mean Applicants from across the world are meant to assemble here?!”

“I do. Nobody would expect the Hunter Exam to be held in a place like this. Not with it’s millions of candidates.”

“Hiding in plain sight,” Mayumi mused. “Smart.”

“That’s true.” Leorio agreed.

The Navigator smirked and opened the door to the restaurant.

“Welcome!” The owner greeted, not looking up from the meal he was preparing.

“Is the back room open?” The Navigator questioned. The owner glanced at him.

“What will you have?”

“The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light, please. Make it four.”

The owners eyes narrowed. “For Four? How would you like it?”

“Grilled over a low flame until cooked.”

“Got it. Let yourself into the back room.”

The Navigator gave a nod, then led them through to the back. Upon opening the back door, they saw a room with a table with four seats.

“Wait here,” the Navigator told them.

“Wait here?” Leorio repeated, “Where are the other Applicants?”

“I can’t wait for the steak combo, aneki!” Gon cheered.

Mayumi lifted a hand to her mouth and giggled.

“There is no steak, Gon,” she informed, picking him up and sitting him in a chair.

“No steak? Why not?”

“That was just the password to get us inside,” Kurapika told him, taking a step further into the room.

“We don’t get to eat?”

“‘Fraid not,” Mayumi said, sitting next to him. She gestured to the seat next to her. “Kurapika. We may as well sit while we can.”

Slowly, Kurapika lowered himself into the seat, watching Leorio continue to glare at the Navigator.

“One in ten thousand,” the Navigator said. Leorio blinked and took a step back.

“What?”

“That’s the number of Applicants that make it this far. You’ve done extremely well for first timers. I must go. Good luck on the rest of the Exam.”

“Thanks!” Gon grinned, holding out his hand. The Navigator stared at him, stunned for a moment, before smiling at the boy gently, taking his hand.

“I would be glad to serve as your Navigator next year, as well.”

“Thanks,” Mayumi nodded, “but I have a feeling we won’t need a Navigator next year.”

“Oh?”

“Un!” Gon’s grin widened. “We’re going to pass!”

The Navigator gave a laugh, before exiting. As soon as the door had closed, the room shook, and began moving. Kurapika looked around.

“It appears this room is an elevator,” he said. Leorio finally sat down.

“Bastard,” he muttered. “Did that mean he expects us to fail this year?”

“One every three years is the frequency with which a rookie passes the exam.” Kurapika explained, “Some cannot endure the physical and mental strain that comes with the Exam. It’s also not unusual for veterans to break the rookies, who consequently never retake the Exam.”

“I guess candidates are willing to risk everything to become Hunters.” Gon said, brow furrowing in thought.

“But of course my friend!” Leorio slammed his hands down onto the table, “Hunters make the most money in this world!”

“No!” Kurapika stood as well, “Hunters are the most noble in the world!”

“Glory hog!”

“Money grubber!”

Mayumi sighed and rubbed her forehead in annoyance. “Here we go again.”

“Gon, listen!” Leorio leaned towards the boy, “every year, over 50 Hunters make the list of the world’s hundred richest people!”

Kurapika shook his head, took hold of the spinning centerpiece of the table, and spun it so that Leorio lost his balance. Then, the Kurta grabbed Mayumi gently by the shoulders to make her listen.

“Hunters are associated with hunting wild game and treasure, but they are all second-rate. True Hunters work to protect people and preserve the natural order of our world.”

“Look here!” Leorio got right back into Gon’s face. “Once you become a Hunter, most people will give you a free pass! And no charge to use public facilities! How about those benefits, huh?!”

Kurapika shook Mayumi slightly, “Hunters have many difficult and important responsibilities, such as preserving cultural artifacts and endangered species, as well as capturing dangerous criminals and unscrupulous Hunters.”

“The fame and money! That’s why people become Hunters!”

“Profound knowledge, a healthy mind and body, and unyielding conviction.” With each proclamation, Kurapika was getting closer and closer to Mayumi’s face, but he was looking at Leorio. “Those are the qualities on which Hunters pride themselves!”

Finally, both teens had finished their argument, and shook their respective captive. In unison, they shouted, “Well? What do you think? What type of Hunter do you wish to become?!”

Kurapika accidentally shook Mayumi so much, that she needed to grip his forearms to keep herself from falling. His sleeves were pushed up his arms as a result, revealing his Mark. Mayumi’s eyes were instantly trained on it, growing wide at the sight.

Gon didn’t notice his sister’s sudden tensing, and chuckled nervously at Leorio, who was staring down at him expectantly.

“Well, when you put it that way...” He rubbed the back of his head.

“K-Kurapika?” He glanced down, saw where her gaze was directed, and snatched his right hand away. “You-”

A bell sounded in the small room.

“I think we’ve arrived,” Kurapika said, before using his teeth to pull his sleeve back over his wrist. He purposely did not look at Mayumi. She frowned, then shrugged. She hadn’t wanted to meet her Soulmate anyways. Though now that she had, she knew it was going to be a hard fact to ignore.

“We’ll continue this later,” Leorio promised, pointing a finger into Gon’s face. The boy let out a sigh of relief.

As the doors slid open, and the group entered the large cavernous room, they were met with chilling stares from the other applicants. Mayumi tensed. Almost the entire room was filled with Alphas, from what she could tell. Kurapika noticed as well, and took a small step closer to Mayumi.

“Is it just me,” Leorio murmured, “or is the atmosphere down here a little grim?”

“They clearly differ from the applicants that we saw at the port or in the city.” Kurapika agreed. “Each is a master in their own right.”

Gon, not seeming to sense what the three older members of his group did, took a step forward with a grin. His steps and his voice when he said, “Um...” echoed through the crowd. People turned away, ignoring him.

“Jeez,” Gon murmured, “everyone’s really tense.”

“Hello!” A little green man-creature approached Mayumi, holding a small tag out to her. “Please take a number!”

Brow furrowed, she took the tag, which read 402.

“Thank you,” she said. The creature smiled at her, and moved on to Leorio, Kurapika and Gon, who received 403, 404 and 405, respectively.

“Please wear this on your chest at all times. Be careful not to lose it.”

He moved on, leaving them to fasten their tags on their own.

A loud voice echoed around the room, “I haven’t seen you guys around before!”

“Look, aneki!” Gon pointed. Mayumi saw a large, middle-aged man sitting on a pipe that was lining the wall. His number was 16.

“Yo!” The man greeted, with a smile and a wave.

“You can tell we’re new?” Gon called up.

“More or less.” He jumped down and walked towards them, his too-nice smile still on his face. “After all, this will be my thirty-fifth attempt.”

The whole group responded in unison, “You’ve taken the Exam thirty-five times?!”

“Well, you could say that I’m an Exam veteran.”

“Not exactly something to be proud of,” Leorio grumbled.

“No kidding,” Mayumi said, covering her nose and mouth to block out the man’s immense body odor. She turned towards Kurapika, despite the fact that he hadn’t spoken directly to Mayumi since leaving the elevator. She much preferred his scent.

“So if you have any questions, just ask me!”

“Thanks!” Gon smiled at the man.

“My name’s Tonpa!” The man reached out a hand.

“I’m Gon! This is Leorio, Kurapika, and aneki!”

“Mayumi,” the girl supplied, reaching forward and putting her hand on Gon’s shoulder. “Are there others who have taken the Exam multiple times like you?”

“Hmm,” Tonpa looked around conspiratorially, then leaned in close. A wave of a sickening scent washed over Mayumi, but she refrained from taking a step back. “Well, just between us, I’m the most experienced, but there’s a few others.” He began pointing out a few other applicants, but none of them seemed particularly threatening at the moment. She decided to keep an eye on them, regardless. Mayumi tuned him out as Gon struck up a conversation.

After a few moments, a scream sounded from the crowd. Looking up, Mayumi saw red flower petals floating through the air around a man, whose arms were disappearing.

“Oh, how peculiar,” another man, with the number 44 on his badge, stood watching with narrowed yellow eyes, and a tight smirk on his white-painted face. His red hair was gelled to resemble fire, and his entire get-up reminded Mayumi of a clown, especially the pink star and teal raindrop painted on his cheeks. “This man’s arms seem to have turned into flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here. Do take care. When you bump into someone, you should apologize.”

“Oh, great,” Tonpa huffed, scowl forming on his face, “that psychopath is back again.”

“You know that guy?” Mayumi asked, crossing her arms, eyes narrowed at the clown like man.

“So...does that mean he tried last year?” Kurapika asked, eyes widened slightly.

“Number 44. Hisoka the Magician. He was the number one pick to pass last year, until he killed an examiner who threatened Alpha status a bit too much. Hisoka didn’t approve of that.”

“Then what the hell is he doing here?!” Leorio demanded, pointing angrily through the crowd. “They’re letting him retake the exam after something like that?!”

“Of course,” Tonpa shrugged, but he still wasn’t happy, “Each year, the examiners and content of the Exam change. The examiners are the ones who decide the content. There have been some who will experiment on applicants, trying to find new ways of torture or a breakthrough in science or medical fields, or even just for fun, because they’re bored. Whoever takes the Test doesn’t matter to them. The devil himself could pass the test, as long as he makes it through the entire Exam. That’s just how this works. Anyway, no one likes him,” he jerked his head to the clown once more.

“Gon,” Mayumi didn’t tear her eyes away from Hisoka the Magician’s back as he moved through the crowd. “Stay away from him if you can.”

“Yes, aneki.”

“He seems dangerous,” Leorio agreed, eyes narrowing.

“Oh, right!” Tonpa started digging through the bag slung across his shoulder. “Here’s a little something to mark our acquaintance!” He handed them each a can of juice. “How about it?”

“Oh! Much appreciated!” Leorio’s face was instantly cleared of any negative emotions. “As it happened, I was thirsty!”

Mayumi gently tapped the lid with her fingernail, smirking, “The kind of thirst you feel can never be quenched, Leorio.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Oh, nothing!”

“Thanks!” Gon’s grin practically split his face, when he received his juice.

“To all of us!” Tonpa cheered, and they all clinked cans.

Mayumi raised the can to her lips and paused. It didn’t smell right. She tossed the can over her shoulder. Beside her, Gon spit his drink out, face disgusted.

“Tonpa,” he said, apologetically, “I think your juice is expired. It tastes funny!”

Leorio spit his out as well. “Seriously?!” He wiped his mouth, “That was close!”

Kurapika tipped his can, letting its contents spill out onto the ground.

Tonpa dropped onto his knees, placing his palms together and bowing his head.

“I’m very sorry! I didn’t realize the juice had gone bad!”

“It’s okay,” Gon promised, “no need to apologize. Is your stomach okay?”

“Y-Yes, I’m fine.”

“I’ve sampled all kinds of mountain grasses and plants, so I can usually taste when something is bad,” he explained, then reached up and grabbed Mayumi’s hand. “And Mayumi-chan has a really strong sense of smell. The strongest out of anyone I’ve ever met!”

“R-Really? That’s amazing...” He got up and started moving away. “Sorry about that, again. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Talkative old me,” Leorio mused.

“I don’t like him.” Mayumi decided watching Tonpa weave through the crowd. “We should avoid him too.”

“I have no objections,” Kurapika agreed, “it’s highly suspicious that he just happened to give us ‘expired’ juice.”

* * *

 

Mila’s eyes, a pinkish purple color, scanned over the crowd of Applicants as she moved through it looking for a safe place to sit. She wanted to avoid the clown.

She’d just watched a man’s arms get turned into red flowers, and, if she weren’t a member of the Nightshade family, it would have disturbed her. That being said, she detested violence, and the spectacle had distracted her. Which explained why she ran full force into someone.

“Oh, hey there, sweetheart!” An entirely too cheery voice made her flinch a little. Slowly, she looked up to see a chubby man smiling down at her. “Didn’t see you there!” He gripped her by the arms and pulled her onto her feet. The low heel of her red mary jane shoes hit the ground, and she took a few steps away from the man, brow furrowed. “Say, you’ve never taken the Hunter’s Exam before, right?”

“That’s right,” Mila nodded. She dusted off her black suspender braces skirt, and, upon noticing the dirt on her thigh-high grey stockings, dusted those as well, before fixing her badge, number 125. She then held out her hand. “I’m Mila! It’s nice to meet you, Mr....” She searched for a name she hadn’t been given.

“Tonpa! I’m kind of the resident expert on the Hunter Exam. This is my thirty-fifth attempt.”

Mila’s eyes shone with wonder, and she played with the end of her strawberry blonde hair. “Thirty-five times? That’s amazing!”

“You really think so? Ah, it’s nothing special. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask!”

“Okay!” A bright smile lit up the girl’s pale face. Tonpa smirked. This girl would be too easy!

“Hey, Tonpa-san!” A loud voice called over the crowd of people. Tonpa and Mila turned to see a white haired boy waving from a short distance away. He had dark blue eyes and a skateboard was tucked under his arm. “Could I have more of that juice? Must be my nerve, I’m really thirsty!”

“O-Oh! Of course! Here, you can both have some!” Tonpa handed a can of juice to Mila, but the white haired boy took three.

“I’m Killua,” the boy said, looking at the girl and cracking open one of his cans. “How old are you?”

“I’m Mila, and I’m 12,” Mila told him. Killua’s head bobbed in a nod, and he began gulping down his juice. Mila shrugged and opened her own juice, taking small sips. She crinkled her nose at the bitter taste hidden beneath the sugar of the drink. Tonpa stared at Killua with a slight bit of horror. The boy noticed.

“Worried?” He wondered, smirking at the older man. “You shouldn’t be. I’ve trained. Poisons don’t hurt me.”

“Hmm?” Mila blinked and glanced down at the drink in her hand. “Poisons?” She took another sip and cringed. “So that’s what it is! Good thing I've been trained, too, or I'd be toast! I'll trust you weren't trying to kill me, Tonpa-san. 'Cause then I'd be angry.” After giving him a sharp look, she turned away from Tonpa and started to walk off, still drinking from the can. Killua came up to her side, chucking a crushed can over his shoulder.

“So, you’re the only one I’ve seen this far that’s the same age as me,” Killua said, glancing around the crowd as he spoke.

“From what I’ve heard, the Exam is pretty dangerous,” Mila dropped her half full can on the ground, “so most parents don’t let their little kids go.”

“What makes you think you can pass?” Killua wondered. The girl next to him didn’t look cut out for this. Everything about her, from her red mary janes to the oversized gray hoodie she wore unzipped over her black suspender braces skirt and olive green cropped top, screamed innocence.

Mila opened her mouth to respond, but a loud ringing noise interrupted their conversation. It stopped after a few long seconds, then the section of wall at the end of the tunnel began to move upwards.

Standing there, on the other side, was a man with a moustache, no visible mouth, and hair that, to Mila, looked as if someone had simply placed a purple-gray mop on his head and parted it down the middle. He was wearing a rather elegant suit, with an odd looking red tie.

“I apologize for the wait,” his moustache wiggled when he spoke, which made Mila giggle. “The entry period for the Hunter Applicants has ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin.”

“Hmph,” Killua was pouting over the fact that their conversation had been cut short.

“Also note,” the man continued, “that if you are short on luck or ability, you run the risk of being severely injured. Death is another distinct possibility. If you’re willing to accept the risks that are involved, I’ll ask you to follow me now. If not, please exit via the elevator behind you.”

None of the applicants moved, and the man nodded, seemingly to himself.

“Right then. In that case, all 404 applicants will now participate in Phase One.” The man turned and began walking, fully extending each leg, and the opposite arm with each step. Mila giggled again.

“He sure walks funny,” she commented, as she and Killua started walking, keeping close to the middle of the group.

“Yeah,” Killua agreed.

After a few moments of steady walking, the people in front of them started to jog, and a few minutes after that, they started to run. All around them, the crowd of applicants began questioning what was going on.

“How rude of me, I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the Examiner for the First Phase of the Exam. It’s my responsibility to lead you all to the Second Phase.

“Second?” Someone called, “What about the first?!”

“It’s already begun,” Satotz explained. It was met with more confused rumbles. Satotz looked over his shoulder. “You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the Exam’s First Phase.”

“Follow you?” The same person called up, “Is that it?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you where or when you must arrive. You must follow me.”

“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t going to be as easy as just following him?” Mila asked, turning to the side. Killua shrugged.

“It’s the Hunter Exam,” he replied. “Like you said, it’s dangerous. Nothing will be simple.”

Mila’s face split in a grin, and she picked up the pace slightly. “That’s what make me think I can pass, Killua! I’m always up for a challenge! Are you? I’ll race you to the end!” And just like that, she was off, leaving Killua surrounded by the scent sea breeze that was left in her wake. With a grin of his own, Killua took off after his new friend.


	4. Hope X And X Ambition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone runs, Gon makes some new friends, Killua cheats, Mila has to buy dinner, Mayumi gives some orders, Leorio takes off his clothes, Hisoka kills someone (again), and Kurapika pushes Mayumi against the wall.

“We’ve been running for two hours!” Leorio complained, his breath coming in hard pants. “How far have we run?!”

“Feels like it’s been about 30 kilometers,” Mayumi responded. She crinkled her nose, “No, more than that.”

“I will be honest,” Kurapika panted from slightly behind them, “I’m unsure how much farther I can go.”

Mayumi looked back at him, eyes narrowed, “Kurapika, don’t you dare quit!”

A jolt went down his back, a feeling he hadn’t felt since his clan leader had been killed. Like fire and electricity and ice all in one. It was the feeling of an Alpha’s Order.

‘ _ Damn, _ ’ he thought, feeling his muscles straining to obey the order, picking up pace to return to her side, ‘ _ She’s my Alpha now, of course she is. This isn’t good. This isn’t something to be reversed. Hopefully this won’t interfere with my vendetta. _ ’

“If you insist,” he said, before he once again increased his speed. “I’m going to go on ahead, then.”

“I’ll stay back with Gon and Leorio. Stay safe.”

Kurapika nodded, and soon he was out of sight.

Leorio fell behind a bit, and then a bit more, panting more and more by the second. Patiently, Mayumi decreased her own speed, lingering back enough so that Leorio was running between her and Gon. A blur of white in her peripheral, and she turned to see a young boy with white hair, blue eyes, and clothes that matched, riding along on a skateboard. Leorio caught sight of him too.

“Hey, kid!” Leorio snapped, shaking his fist. “Treat the Exam with a little more respect!”

“What do you mean?” The boy asked, furrowing his brows and looking up at Leorio.

“I mean quit using the damn skateboard! It’s cheating!”

“Yeah!” An unfamiliar voice called. Mayumi looked back, and saw a little girl with strawberry blonde hair in a black suspenders braces skirt, olive green cropped top, oversized gray sweatshirt, gray thigh socks and red Mary Jane shoes running next to Gon, a mildly annoyed look on her young face. “It’s cheating!”

“How so?” The boy pulled the lower lid of his eye down so the red was revealed, and stuck his tongue out at the little girl, whose annoyance vanished with a giggle.

“It’s an endurance test!”

“No, it’s not!” Gon piped up. Leorio turned to glare at him.

“What are you babbling about now, Gon?!”

“The examiner guy only said we had to follow him, that’s all!”

“He’s right,” Mayumi said, “Doesn’t matter that the kids on a skateboard.”

“Whose side are you two on?!”

The boy on the skateboard slowed down and rode next to Gon.

“Hey, how old are you?”

“I’m 12 years old,” Gon replied.

“He’s our age!” The little girl cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

“I’m Killua,” the boy introduced, “The brat is Mila.”

“Hey!” Mila crossed her arms and pouted, which looked strange considering she was running.

“I’m Gon.”

Killua closed his eyes, and his skateboard wavered a bit under him, before he let it fly up behind him and into his hand.

“I think I’ll run for a little while.”

“Wow! That was so cool! Aneki! Did you see that?!”

“I saw.”

* * *

 

After another two hours, and at least 60 kilometers, Leorio was falling very far behind. He dropped his case on the ground, and hunched over, placing his hands on his knees. He was done. Mayumi stopped running instantly, turning to look at him. Gon noticed he couldn’t hear his sister’s footsteps anymore, and his steady pace stumbled to a halt. He turned to see Mayumi standing about fifty yards away, and Leorio about one hundred yards away from her. Confused, Killua and Mila stopped as well.

“Oi, Mayu-chan!” Killua cupped his hands over his mouth to call at the older girl, “Just leave him! We have to keep moving!”

“She won’t,” Gon said quietly, eyes trained on the suited man. 

As Gon spoke, Mayumi placed her hands on her hips, staring at Leorio with slight frown on her face. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up.

“Get your ass into gear, Leorio.”

For a few moments, Leorio continued to pant in his hunched position. Then he growled loudly and pointed at Mayumi. “Screw you! You can’t boss me around, Princess! I’m my own damn Alpha! I’m going to be a Hunter!” With another growl, Leorio was sprinting, flying by Mayumi, and then the group of children, with such speed that a breeze ruffled their clothing in his wake.

“That’s more like it,” Mayumi praised, before picking up her pace again. “Gon! Grab the case and let’s go!”

“Alright!” Gon cast his fishing line, hooking Leorio’s case, and chasing after his sister.

When they next saw Mayumi, she was just starting up a huge staircase that seemed never ending, and she was climbing fast. Judging from the other Applicants’ paces, the Examiner had sped up once more.

“Gon!” Mila popped up on the green-clad boy’s right, “Killua and I were having a race, did you want to join?”

“Sure! Loser has to buy dinner?”

“You’re on!” Killua agreed instantly. Mila, Gon, and Killua looked at each other, and grinned.

“Ready,” they said, “Go!” They took off up the stairs.

* * *

 

“Kurapika!”

The Kurta glanced over his shoulder to see Mayumi and Leorio steadily approaching. Leorio had removed his shirt, his number was stuck to his bare chest, and his tie was flowing through the air behind him. It was Mayumi who had called him. As she came up next to him, he was engulfed by the delectable scent of lavender, and the underlying saltiness of her sweat. Kurapika felt a tug on his heart, and an urge to have that scent all over him. He shook his head clear, then smiled back at them.

“Mayumi, Leorio! Is everything alright?”

“Sure!” Mayumi agreed, sounding slightly winded now that she was running up stairs.

“Just look at me!” Leorio cried, pulling slightly ahead. “I realized it’s a whole lot easier to keep going if I stop caring about how stupid I look!”

Kurapika watched Leorio for a moment, before smirking and pulling off his tabard, putting it in his satchel. He looked over at Mayumi, who was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

“Kurapika,” her voice was so quiet, it almost didn’t carry over the sound of everyone’s pounding footsteps. “Can I ask you something?”

Kurapika blinked.

“Of course.”

“I don’t hide my Mark like you do, so I know you saw it as soon as you met me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kurapika frowned and looked forward.

“A Soulmate Bond is counterproductive to my agenda.”

“Reject it then,” Mayumi threw her nose in the air, “I never wanted a Soulmate, so go on. Reject it, and we’ll just be friends.”

Kurapika gave a short laugh, “We both know it’s too late for that. The Bond has been forming since we both became aware we were Mates. I can feel it.” He placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. “Even if we never complete the Bond, if we reject it now we’ll lose our will to live, let alone complete our goals. I came to a decision an hour or two ago; as long as you don’t try to interfere with my plans to destroy the Phantom Troupe, our Bond will never be an issue. I’ll never willingly hurt you. My Soul, my Body, and my Heart are yours.”

“Well, then, my Little Omega,” Mayumi took pride in Kurapika’s blush at the nickname, “My Soul, my Body, and my Heart are yours.”

The words seemed to flip a switch, somewhere in their instincts, and suddenly Mayumi found herself pressed against the wall of the stairs, with Kurapika’s nose buried in her hair. The people behind them passed and were gone without sparing them a single glance. Kurapika groaned as a warmth spread through his entire body, and his chest felt like someone had reached inside him and patched a hole he hadn’t been aware was there.

“Kurapika,” Mayumi spoke, and it sounded like bells to him. He nuzzled further into the scent of lavender.

“It feels so...” He couldn’t describe it, but he didn’t need to.

“I know,” Mayumi placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away gently. “We need to run, Kurapika.”

He seemed to notice that they were still in the middle of the exam, and he paled a little.

“Of course. My apologies.”

Mayumi smiled at him gently, and squeezed his hand, before taking off in a sprint. Kurapika took a moment longer to enjoy her lingering scent, but eventually, he started running too.

* * *

 

Mila was starting to get irritated with all this running. It had been at least 80 kilometers now. She, Gon and Killua had passed Kurapika and Leorio, and now they were coming upon Mayumi. Soon, they passed her as well.

“I gotta say, I’m pretty impressed the two of you can keep up with me,” Killua mused. He was barely winded. 

“And why’s that?” Mila demanded, “I’m a Nightshade, not some weakling.”

Killua’s head snapped to Mila’s face.

“Nightshade?” He repeated blandly. “I’m a Zoldyck. Our families have been allied for centuries.”

“Ah. Well, not me. I ran away.”

“Why?” Gon piped up. Mila turned a blinding smile on the black haired boy.

“I hate violence! What better reason to leave?”

Gon knew nothing of the Zoldycks or the Nightshades, and so he shrugged and laughed along with Mila. Killua continued to stare a moment longer at the strawberry blonde in front of him. Then he dropped his head with an agitated sigh.

“Man, I thought the Hunter Exam was gonna be more of a challenge. This is boring!”

“Why do you want to take the Exam?” Gon asked, glancing between Mila and Killua.

“I heard it was supposed to be really hard,” Killua said, “So I thought it would be fun. But like I said, this is boring. It’s kind of disappointing.”

“And I decided to take it because it’s the last place my family would expect me to go!” Gon blinked, looking between Killua and Mila. Mila blinked her eyes at him, tilting her head. “What about you, Gon? Why do you want to take the Hunter Exam?”

“Well, my dad’s a Hunter, so I want to become a Hunter just like him!”

“Hmm? What kind of Hunter is he?” Killua asked.

“Dunno!”

Killua laughed, “That’s kind of weird!”

“Really?”

“You want to be like your dad, but you don’t know anything about him?”

“Aneki and I were raised by Mito-san, so I’ve only ever seen my dad in pictures, and from the little that Aneki remembers.”

“Who’s Mito-san?” Mila asked. Gon gave her a bright smile.

“Aunt Mito,” he responded.

“Oh!”

“My dad took the Hunter Exam when he was twelve. He passed and became a Hunter, and then he left the island. I want to find out why he chose being a Hunter over being with me and Aneki.”

Killua and Mila shared a frown over Gon’s head, before blinking as sudden light reached their eyes.

“The Exit!” Someone cried.

“Finally I can get out of this dark tunnel!”

Mila let out a joyous whoop and put on a burst of speed, pulling to the font of the crowd. Gon and Killua looked at each other and grinned, following her lead.

At the very front, Satotz reached the top of the stairs, and turned to see who had made it through the first half of his stage. As he turned, a blur of green, white, blue, black and grey passed him, childish voices shouting, “Goal!” and giggling.

“Yay!” Gon cried when they stopped. “I win! Killua, you and Mila-chan owe me dinner!”

“No way, no way!” Mila protested, flapping her arms comically. “I won!”

“In your dreams, Nightshade!” Killua snickered.

“Oi! Killua!”

The bickering continued, rising in volume, until finally, they all turned to Satotz. Mila blinked her pretty, wide eyes up at him. “Satotz-san, who was faster?”

“I believe you all crossed the finish line simultaneously.” 

They processed this information, looked at each other. Gon grinned.

“Okay! Then Mila can buy us dinner, and we’ll buy Mila-chan dinner!”

“Hey, wait a second, that’s not fair!”

“No, totally, let’s do that!” Killua laughed.

“Absolutely not!”

Gon, still grinning, turned to face Satotz again. “Hey, Satotz-san, is this where the Second Phase of the Exam takes place?”

“No, we still have quite a ways to go.”

“Awe,” Gon kicked the dirt comically.

Satotz looked over these three children again, slightly awestruck that they’d made it all the way through the tunnel, and in first place, no less.

Beside Satotz, another person appeared, and hunched over to place their hands on their knees, catching their breath. Gon’s face lit up.

“Mayumi-chan!” he leapt at the girl, who managed to straighten and catch him just in time.

“Ah, Gon!” She pulled him into a hug, “you guys made it, good! How did the race go?”

“Mila-chan is getting me and Killua dinner!”

“I am  _ not _ !”

* * *

 

Leorio made it to the top of the stairs, feet stumbling and chest heaving. With a groan he sank to his knees then fell face first into the ground. Kurapika appeared out of the darkness next, panting quietly, but not nearly as winded as Leorio. He looked around at the group of participants standing in the fog, noticing how low their numbers had dwindled.

“Hey, Kurapika!” Gon’s voice piped up. Kurapika’s head shot towards it. Gon, Killua, and Mila all sat crowded around Mayumi, who lay on the ground, eyes closed and breathing gently. It seemed almost like she was asleep, but Kurapika knew she’d never leave Gon unprotected around so many dangerous people. He was proven correct, when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. He moved to stand with them, still panting quietly. Leorio dragged himself along the ground behind him.

“Is this our destination?” Kurapika asked, still looking around. He could hardly see anything through the fog.

“No, it isn’t.” Gon replied, playing with a small pile of grass he’d gathered.

“I see. His eyes caught something in the distance, and he smiled slightly, “The fog is clearing.”

“Really?!” Gon cried, standing up. His face broke into a wide smile as he watched the fog give way to a huge, oddly pretty swampland, unlike anything Gon had ever seen before. Mayumi sat up, smiling at her brother.

At the very front of the crowd, Satotz cleared his throat.

“The Numere Wetlands,” he explained, “also known as the Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the Exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you’re dead.”

As though to emphasize the danger of the situation, the gate to the tunnel behind them began to rattle shut. An unfortunate participant who hadn’t made it in time was just reaching the top of the stairs. His cry of, “Wait for me!” was heard before the door slammed shut.

“These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool you,” Satotz continued, as though the interruption hadn’t happened. “An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit, hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won’t be deceived.”

“Hah!” Leorio, sweating profusely, finally peeled himself off the ground. “What a joke. How can they fool us when we’re expecting it?”

“Don’t let them fool you!” A voice called over the murmurs of the crowd.

“I just said they can’t!” Leorio snapped, before turning in the direction of the voice. There was a man peeking from the side of the building. His face was battered and bruised, his hair wrecked and his clothes torn and disheveled. 

“D-Don’t fall for it!” the man came out from his hiding spot, and pointed at Satotz. “He’s lying to you! He’s an imposter! He isn’t the real examiner! I’m the examiner!”

“An imposter?” Leorio repeated, looking from the man to Satotz.

Gon nodded, as though this made perfect sense. “Okay!” He made to step towards the stranger, but Mayumi grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him back, yanking him right into her lap. He blinked in surprise, tilting his head back to look at her, but she was looking between the two “examiners” intensely.

“Wait,” she ordered. Gon shrugged and settled back against her.

“Look at this!” The man pulled a strange purple creature with an uncanny resemblance to Satotz from behind the wall. “It’s a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that resides in the Wetlands.”

“The Man-Faced Ape?” Leorio couldn’t believe his eyes or his ears.

“The Man-Faced Ape loves the taste of fresh human flesh, but their arms are long and thin, so they’re quite weak. They disguise themselves as humans and trick them into following them through the Wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them!” The man pointed an accusing finger at Satotz once again. “He plans on eating every single applicant.”

“Bastard,” Leorio grumbled, glaring at Satotz.

“He certainly doesn’t walk like a human,” the bald ninja added.

“But what about when we first got here?” Mayumi wondered. Kurapika glanced down at her. “The Kids probably would have been easy targets before I got here. Even afterwards, as exhausted as I am, I wouldn’t have been able to put up much of a fight, not to mention my guard was completely down. Going after dozens of stronger targets is bad strategy. While going after fewer targets result in less food, it would minimize damage to oneself.”

“T-That’s true...” Leorio agreed.

There was a sudden whooshing noise, right next to her ear, and Mayumi flinched as she felt a stinging sensation on her cheek. Three cards embedded themselves into the chest of the man, three more were caught between Satotz’s fingers. A quiet chuckle sounded from behind Mayumi, and she tensed up, glancing behind her to see that murderous clown, Hisoka standing there.

“I see, I see,” he gestured to Satotz. “You’re the real one. Examiners are Hunters who are chosen by the committee for this duty without pay. Anyone bearing the title we seek would have been able to block that attack.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Satotz deadpanned, “But for future reference, if you attack me again, for any reason, I’ll report you for turning on an examiner and have you disqualified. Understood?”

“Sure,” Hisoka shrugged, not even looking at Satotz. Instead, he inhaled deeply, allowing lavender to fill his senses.

“Do you all understand now?” Satotz called above the shocked muttering of the applicants. “If you are lured away into the Numere Wetlands, you will never reach the second phase.”

Hisoka wasn’t listening. His eyes drifted over to Mayumi, over the exciting spade-shaped symbol on the inside of her wrist, over the pulse beating in her neck, the bleeding cut he’d placed on her cheek with his uncaring aim, over her deep frown and, most exciting of all, her fierce eyes. He let out a low growl, his lips curling into a smirk. He raised his thumb to her cheek, swiping the blood away faster than she could process. “Oops,” he teased, being sure to show her his own wrist with its spade Mark as he sucked the blood off his skin.

He watched her eyes widen, and then grow even more fierce. He felt himself grow hard as her Alpha’s Aura washed over him. She was powerful.  _ Good _ . Maybe one day she’d be powerful  _ enough _ . But not today.

“See you around, Alpha,” he teased, turning away and sauntering off, allowing his own Alpha’s Aura flow out. Mayumi instinctively let more out to contest it.

Kurapika was practically drowning in it, and he could see, on her other side, Gon and Mila were struggling too, though Killua and Leorio only seemed mildly discomforted.

“Mayumi,” he murmured, reaching out to hold onto her shoulder tightly, thankful that the action snapped her out of her daze, and her Aura seeped away, Hisoka’s going with it. Gon and Mila let out quiet gasps with the release, and Kurapika loosened his grip on Mayumi’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” Mayumi sighed.

“Aneki,” Gon whined, “What was that?”

“I’m sorry,” she said again, “That Clown, he-”

“You’re both Alphas, and you’re mates,” Killua supplied, “You’re both strong, so you’re contesting each other instinctively. Eventually the stronger Alpha will win out.”

“Mates?” Kurapika repeated, head snapping towards her. Mayumi grabbed his wrist and pushed up his sleeve, revealing his Mark, lining hers up next to his.

“He had this,” she told him. “Same symbol, same spot.”

“ _ Him _ ?”

“Him.” Her eyes looked up into his, and he ducked his head. “I’ll take care of it.”

“You better make sure you’re stronger, then,” Killua cut in. Mila jumped up.

“Didn’t you feel that, Killua? She was super strong!”

“Not strong enough.”

Mayumi bit her lip. Damn fate and its tendency to play games.

“Everyone!” Satotz called, beginning to run once more, “We’re moving out!”

She’d have to think of a solution to their problem later.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter out shortly.


End file.
